Posts Tagged ‘Lauren Larsen’
Gimme Shelter: Wing Back Chairs
Thom Filicia, arbiter of all things cool and cozy in home decor, first introduced me to the canopied wing back chair in his interior design book, Thom Filicia STYLE. Filicia describes canopied wing backs as “personal cocoons of coziness” and, I must say, after sitting in one myself this Christmas, I couldn’t agree more. In a way, these chairs remind me of a more traditional take on the Lee West Stereo Alpha Egg Chair, surrounding the sitter with a roof and two walls, safeguarding from the rest of the room.
In the case of these canopied chairs, the burlap upholstery balances out their stateliness. And, though the chairs are certainly the focal point of this conversation area, the southwestern saddle blankets definitely complete the look. The two featured on this table-scape are more reasonably priced than their authentic forefathers and are from Urban Outfitters.
Thank you to Susan Larsen for sharing her Arizona dining room with us here at the LoftLife blog!
Sartorialoft
6/2/09 Tucked away off of Los Angeles’ Industrial Street is downtown’s latest addition, Sartorialoft. To call Sartorialoft a boutique is a severe understatement, for it is far more clothing art gallery than a mere boutique.
Located in one of the Biscuit building’s original 1920s loft spaces, complete with original exposed brick walls, beams, and cement floors, the space begs for the sparse, rough-and-ready décor given to it by storeowner, David Choi.
Choi, originally in the real estate business, is well versed in the design language of sleek architectural lines, which shows both in his chosen store space as well as the clothing carried there. If there is one thing Sartorialoft is not, it’s fast fashion. Designers and labels such as Maurizio Amadei (M.A+), Luca Laurini (Label Under Construction), Carol Christian Poell, Maurizio Altieri (Carpe Diem), and Japanese line Individual Sentiments, offer the attention to design detail and craftsmanship appreciated by LA’s true fashion junkies. (Especially those with a fetish for fine leather or atypical materials such as elephant hyde and paper.) The price range for these pieces is slightly more Rodeo Drive than downtown, but the energy is far warmer and not the slightest bit pretentious.
So the next time you’re in the mood for some uptown shopping in a hip downtown locale, drop in on David Choi and his team at Sartorialoft. They will certainly welcome you with a smile, a fancy bottle of chilled water, and an eagerness to tell you the sartorial story behind each piece!
Sartorialoft Los Angeles
1820 Industrial Street, #103
Los Angeles, CA 90021
213-291-3242
www.sartorialoftla.com
Design Resource: Santa Monica Flea Market
5/26/09
On the first and fourth Sundays of every month, Angelenos far and wide make the pilgrimage to the Santa Monica Airport, home of one of the better flea markets gracing the city. Although nobody is boarding a flight, design inspiration is sky high in this treasure trove of vintage, antique, and collectable goodies. Despite their flea market origin, with the right point of reference, plenty of these pieces can dress up any loft to designer heights.
Used and vintage Spode dishware isn’t just for the tabletop anymore.
Flea market Spode dishware.
Kelly Wearstler's Spode plate wall at the Viceroy Hotel in Santa Monica, CA.
Kelly Wearstler creatively mounted Spode plates on the outdoor wall of the Viceroy Hotel in Santa Monica. Buy your dishes cheap at the flea market and spend your money on a great handyman to hang them instead!
Antler plaques were aplenty at this Sunday’s flea market, priced at $75 for the smaller ones and all the way up to $250 for the larger vintage plaques. However, the real find was this old buck trophy head. One of his antlers was slightly broken, but he was in overall great condition, and only $75! According to interior designer Thom Filicia, the taxidermy look works in any home that knows how to balance it out with some refined lines and sophisticated touches. Purse designer, Carrie White, certainly applied Filicia’s school of thought after buying the stag’s head for her own home!
Vintage horn plaques found at the flea market.
Flea market stag's head.
Page featuring stag's head from Thom Filicia's book, STYLE.
Stag's head featured in Carrie White's hallway, mounted on what will be her wallpaper for that space.
Anthropologie may be the first store that comes to mind when searching for cool, antique looking hardware for your home, but the flea market is an equally great resource for much cheaper prices. The market had everything from etched glass doorknobs to vintage iron hooks, perfect for adding function to that fashionable loft kitchen!
Bins of used and vintage hardware at the flea market.
Bins of new hardware (made to look vintage) at Anthropologie.
Trend Alert: Denim
Denim may be one of the world’s oldest fabrics, but it has remained eternally youthful at the hands of designers and denim devotees worldwide. And, with the spring/summer season upon us, it seems that varying shades of blue denim are flooding the pages of fashion magazines and boutique racks everywhere. But this trend is definitely not limited to your closet. Adding denim touches to your home can enhance a room with just the right amount of ruggedness and bohemian flare to an otherwise polished space.
According to Elle magazine’s Denim Guide, bleached and tie-dyed denim went from fad to high fashion this season. From big brands like DKNY and BEBE, to smaller ones like Erin Wasson X RVCA and KSUBI, the bleached look is trickling down from the runways to wardrobes, so why not to your home too?
Purchasing vintage denim curtains from the thrift store, cutting them to size, and then tie dying them with bleach yielded these denim cushions. The bleached effect gives a more relaxed, hippie vibe to the room and they provide just enough padding for a comfortable fireside chat.
These CB2 napkins might not be denim, but the certainly give off the same effect! The napkins are actually tied, then dyed in blue and brown on 100% white cotton. Pair with jute place mats and crisp white plates for a summer tabletop sure to pleasantly surprise any dinner guest.
Sherwin Williams has certainly taken the blue jeans trend and run with it! As seen in the latest issue of Lucky Magazine, the paint brand showcases their catalog of paint colors sure to match your favorite pair of jeans. Whether they are “’70s blue”, “retro blue”, or “acid blue”, they have just the shade to make your home into “your own blue heaven”.
Design Inspiration: Grey Gardens
With the release of the HBO film Grey Gardens only days away, anyone who considers themselves a fan of the Bouvier Beale family, or the 1976 Maysles Bros. documentary about them, is likely scouring the Internet for teaser trailers and photos in ravenous anticipation. The documentary, with its real and raw footage of Big and Little Edie Beale’s inner sanctum, has been an excellent resource for inspirational quotes and design ideas for many. (See Rufus Wainwright’s song Grey Gardens or fashions by Laurie Foon) However, the movie delivers a set design that the reality of the documentary could not, jumping back to the heyday of the East Hampton home before its infamous dilapidation.
Production Designer Kalina Ivanov has truly restored Grey Gardens for viewers, reminding fans that this shingle style home wasn’t always in shambles. The rooms truly take on the aristocratic tone and manner once embodied by Big and Little Edie Beale. Although New England traditional in it’s décor, aspects of this room can be incorporated into any home, such as the sleek bar cart and the mixture of prints in the rug and upholstery.
HBO's Grey Gardens living room set.
There is also design inspiration to be drawn from the later ramshackle days of Grey Gardens. The women may have not had much and were definitely living in ruin, but they still had a way of brightening their surrounding with little touches, such as memorabilia and flowers. Pictured below, in both the real Edies’ room and the movie version, are collections of family photos, articles and handwritten letters framing the vanity mirror.
Vanity mirror as seen in the Maysles Bros. documentary.
Vanity collections as seen in the HBO film.
It’s hard to imagine that a woman who went from high society aspiring actress to being famous only for her demise was able to see a silver lining. Despite her cracked mirror, Little Edie manages to brighten her surroundings with a bouquet of daffodils.
“[Grey Gardens] is oozing with romance, ghosts, and other things.” – Little Edie
Little Edie Beale with flowers.
Grey Gardens airs Saturday, April 18th at 8pm on HBO.
Loft Restaurant Review: Church & State
3/20/09
Angelenos have a brand new reason to brave the gridlock and travel east of Sunset Blvd. Church & State French restaurant has opened its doors as the house restaurant to the Biscuit Company Lofts in downtown L.A., one of the city’s hottest new loft residences.
Located at street level, Church & State is one of the many incentives offered by building owners to attract prospective buyers and increase patronage of the burgeoning loft community.
Despite its industrial ceilings with exposed pipes and beams, the restaurant offers an unexpectedly cozy atmosphere. While the deep red walls and the café string of lights contribute to this coziness, the pièce de résistance is the warm hardwood flooring. The floors are original from the 1925 construction when the Nabisco Company inhabited the space for the baking of its crackers, cookies, wafers and, of course, biscuits!
So saddle up at the bar for some pommes frittes and a glass of Beaujolais Nouveau. Chances are you’ll strike up a conversation with one of the tragically hip residents and—if you’re lucky—get a loft tour out of it (that’s what this blogger is hoping for)!
Draper Residence
3/16/09
In the world of vintage furniture hunting, there are some pieces so iconic that, no matter what it takes, you must make them a part of your home. This was certainly the case for vintage purse designer Carrie White when she discovered this Dorothy Draper dresser on a visit to Texas in February.
Dorothy Draper dresser at Lula B's antique mall in Dallas.
Carrie was first introduced to the legend that is Dorothy Draper through the work of famed interior designer Kelly Wearstler. Kelly’s own dresser is featured in her book, Modern Glamour: The Art Of Unexpected Style.
Kelly Wearstler's Dorothy Draper dresser, featured in her book.
Dorothy was a major influence on Kelly Wearstler since she was the first interior designer to coin the Hollywood Regency aesthetic. You might also recall seeing this dresser in the Sex and the City movie in the Vogue office of Candace Bergen’s character, Enid Frick.
Dresser featured in Sex and the City movie.
Carrie White had previously come across Draper inspired pieces at the Rose Bowl flea market in Pasadena, CA. She found two matching knock-off bedside tables there last year for a mere $300. But despite their cheap price, the bedside tables weren’t meant to be and her hunt continued for the perfect Draper piece.
Victory ensued in Dallas, Texas when Carrie found her highboy dresser at the Lula B’s antique mall at 2004 Greenville Avenue. The dresser is guestimated to be of the 1930s / 1940s era and was a steal for the sale price of $425, marked down from $650. It’s hardware had likely been changed over time as it didn’t exactly match drawer pulls from other original pieces, but the bones, black lacquer finish and gold frames were all in keeping with Dorothy Draper’s signature style. Carrie was determined to make a place for it in her Hollywood home, so she bought the dresser and shipped it back to Los Angeles for an additional $185 fee.
Carrie White's dresser in her home.
Wanting the Dorothy Draper look for your own home? Reproduction pieces are currently available on eBay for $588 and originals are available on 1stdibs.
• Word of Wisdom: If you find a great piece of furniture that requires shipping, don’t underestimate the value of your piece. Carrie’s dresser was slightly damaged in the move and now requires repair. Uship is a good site to get started.
• To see Carrie White’s vintage purses, visit her website shopchlorine.
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